Holding out for a hero
by Dallyforever101
Summary: Even when he was gone, thousands of miles away from home, he was her hero. It'd taken her a long time to figure it out, but the feeling of dread that he might not come home filled her every thought, and nothing could scare her more. I don't own The Outsiders :'(
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm kind of in the mood to write stories where the guys go off to war… Not a very happy topic to want to write, but I've had this sitting around in my notes for a while and figured I'd post it. It'll be 2 chapters, so it's nice and short.  
Reminder that this story doesn't have anything to do with what's going on in my chapter stories. There isn't any connection between what happens in this story, and what's happening in those.  
I hope everyone likes it! It's only going to be two chapters. I kept it nice and short. :p

_I'm holding out for a hero_ by Ella Mae Bowen

XXX  
_Where have all the good men gone  
And where are all the gods?  
Where's the street-wise Hercules  
To fight the rising odds?  
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?  
Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong, he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure, he's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life, larger than life_

19 months before...

The morning was bright and warm as Mia rolled out of bed and headed for the kitchen. As usual, Tim was already up with the paper and a cup of coffee at the table.  
"Morning." Mia said as she walked in. Tim jumped slightly when he heard her voice and shoved something under a stack of paper beside him. Mia raised an eyebrow as she walked to the coffee maker to pour herself a cup.  
"What's that?" She asked as she walked back over to the table and sat down across from him. Tim shook his head as he finished his drink and stood up to take it to the sink.  
"Nothing." He said quickly. "You know, just bills." Mia didn't believe him, but before she could call him out for it, Tim had grabbed the letter and walked away to the bedroom to finish getting ready for work.  
"I'll see you later." He said as he came back out. Tim kissed the top of her head and walked out the door.  
Mia watched him go for a moment, and then shrugged off the feeling that he was brushing her off. He'd tell her when he was ready; she didn't have anything to worry about.

Later that night...

"Darry, I'm really getting worried." Mia said over the phone as she kept watch out the window. "I called around a bit earlier and they all said they hadn't seen him since around noon. What if he was in an accident or something?"  
"I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, Mia." Darry said on the other end. "Maybe he just went out and met up with someone you haven't called and they went out for drinks. You know how he can be sometimes." Mia sighed and ran a hand back through her hair.  
"Yes, but he could have at least called." Just then, headlights filled the window and Mia sighed heavily in relief as she watched Tim's car pull into the driveway. "He just pulled in. I'll talk to you later, Darry." After she said good bye, Mia hung up the phone and rushed to the door as Tim walked in.  
"Where have you been?" She asked as he pulled off his jacket. "I've been worried sick! You could have at least called to say you were going to be out late?!"  
"It wasn't planned." Tim said in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry, baby." Mia started to protest when she caught the tone of his voice, and a deep frown formed across her face.  
"What's wrong? What happened?" That was when she saw the letter sticking out of his back pocket. "Tim, what is on that letter?" Tim pulled the letter out and held it in his hands. Mia took a step back in fear when she saw the look in Tim's eyes. She couldn't quite place it, but for some reason it frightened her.  
"We need to talk, Mia." Tim said and led her into the living room. "I don't know how to tell you this, and I know you're not going to like it." He stopped and ran a hand back through his hair. The letter was crumbled up in his fist, and Mia now looked more closely at it.  
It was a plain white sheet of paper, but the way it was crumbled up, Mia could now see the presidential symbol at the top of the page.  
"Mia," Tim started again, his voice strained like he was trying to keep himself in check. "I've been drafted."  
A thick silence filled the room, and Mia was left starring at Tim in confusion, before it started to turn to shock. As the shock wore away, it turned to a numb feeling that enveloped her, and she was let shaking her head in denial.  
"No," She said as she stood up and paced for a moment. "No you haven't, this is just some cruel joke. How could you do this?!" But somewhere deep inside her, underneath her wish that it was a joke, Mia knew it was true. Tears sprang to her eyes as she covered her mouth with one hand, while the other clutched at her stomach like she was going to be sick, and she tried to hold back the tears. She shook her head, even as Tim stood up and pulled her in close, running a hand down her hair.  
"I'm sorry, baby." He whispered softly next to her ear. "I'm really sorry." It was then that she broke down, collapsing into Tim's arms as she sobbed.  
They fell to the floor under the weight of holding themselves up, and Mia clutched at the front of Tim's shirt as she sobbed into his shoulder. She listened as Tim repeatedly told her he was sorry, and it wasn't long before she was positive he was crying with her.

_Somewhere after midnight  
In my wildest fantasies  
Somewhere just beyond my reach  
There's someone reaching back for me  
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
Isn't there a superman to sweep me off my feet?  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong, he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure, he's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life_

XXX

I hope you all like it!

Reviews please!

~Stay Gold!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the second chapter. Where it says Present Day, it doesn't mean like our present day. It's just some date in the 70's to distinguish between the different time changes in the story.

It's still based off the same song, which I would highly recommend listening to, it's an amazing song, I love it.

XXX

_Up where the mountains meet the heavens above  
Out where the lightning splits the sea  
I could swear that there's someone somewhere watching me  
Through the wind and the chill and the rain  
And the storm and the raging flood  
Oh, his approach is like a fire in my blood  
I'll meet a hero  
And then we'll dance 'til the morning light  
Dreaming, he'll lead me  
Held tight,  
Tonight's the night_

Present day...

The airport was full of people, and Mia kept herself close to Darry as they moved through the thick crowd.  
"What time was their plane supposed to arrive?" Two- Bit asked as they finally found a place that wasn't so crowded and rested against the wall.  
"Three- thirty." Ponyboy said. He'd been bouncing around for days, waiting for today.  
Mia gave him a smile as she shifted the baby around in her arms. It'd been almost 2 years since she had last seen Tim, Steve and Soda. They'd all received their draft notes within days of each other, leaving everyone with an empty feeling of dread.  
But here they were, standing in the airport waiting for them to finally come home, and Mia felt a serge of butterflies in her stomach once again as she thought about seeing her husband again after so long.

19 months before...

"We'll run to Canada." Mia offered later that night. "They aren't involved in the war, we'll go there and we'll be safe. We can start a family, just like we've been wanting to do." When Tim didn't look up from his untouched meal, Mia pushed herself away from the table and stormed out the door.  
She could hear Tim calling out for her as she walked down the street, tears blurring her vision, making it half impossible to see where she was going.  
"Mia wait!" Tim finally caught up to her, catching her by the arm and spinning her around to face him.  
They stood starring at each other for a moment before Tim rested his hands on her shoulders.  
"I'm not going to run from this." He said, and Mia's bottom lip started to tremble once again as tears spilled from her eyes. "Come on, Mia. It's not like there isn't a chance of me coming home."  
"But there is a chance! You might not come home!" Mia cried as they stood out on the street. The warmth from the day was gone, leaving a chill in the air.  
"But there is a chance I will." Tim said. "Mia, I would love to just rip that note up and forget it even showed up here. But I have to go, you know that. It's the right thing to do." Mia drew in deep breaths.  
"It's not right for them to be sending out people who don't want to go." She said as they made their way back to the trailer. They walked inside, forgetting their meal, and sat down on the couch in the living room.  
"What about all the plans we had?" Mia whispered, afraid that if she talked any louder, her voice would crack and she'd collapse into tears once again. "What about getting married? And buying a house? And having kids? What if you don't come home? What am I supposed to do then?" Tim was quiet as he kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders. They sat in silence for a long time, Mia watching for Tim's reaction, while Tim starred down at the floor.  
"Marry me." He suddenly said, and Mia blinked in surprise. Tim looked up at her, his eyes serious. "Marry me now, before I go." He took her shoulders in his hands and turned her slightly to face him. "Marry me, Mia." Mia opened and closed her mouth for a moment, before she finally settled on closing it up tight.  
A moment later, she nodded, and Tim pulled her in for a tight hug.

Present day...

The wedding had been incredibly simple, with just a few of their friends gathered in the Curtis' backyard for a quiet ceremony before they all gathered at the community hall for the reception. The day had brought a lot of happiness for everyone, yet they all knew the reason for the quick wedding, and under the happiness they were all hiding away the fear and sadness.  
Mia sighed as she sat down beside Darry on the bench, letting him take the baby from her arms so she could rest a moment.  
It had been a month after Tim left that Mia had found out she was pregnant, and though it had brought a wave of incredible joy to her, it was quickly washed away by the fact that Tim wouldn't be home in time for the baby to be born.

17 months before...

"Darry, he's not going to be home in time." Mia said as she sat at the table with her head in her hands. "How am I supposed to raise a baby on my own?"  
"He's not going to be gone forever, Mia." Darry said, skipping over the part where there was a chance he would be. "You'll probably only be with the baby for a few months before he's home and the two of you will be fine. Besides, you won't be alone; Ponyboy, Two- Bit and I are here to help you." Mia smiled a little, but it was only half true.  
"Thanks, Darry." She said. "I'm really glad you're here."

Present day...

Mia had sent Tim a letter a few days later, telling him the news. She had known the chance that he wouldn't get it, but she had sent it anyway. She'd been thrilled when a letter came back from him, telling her that he wished he was there with her. He'd also sent a list of possible names for girls and boys. Mia had laughed when she saw how long the list was, and she was happy that even though they were so far away from each other, Tim was still putting his opinion into it.  
Several months later, Mia had given birth to a healthy baby girl, whom she'd named Abigail. She'd found somewhere that it meant father's joy, and as soon as Tim saw her, Mia was positive that he would be overjoyed to see her.  
The speakers crackled to life, announcing the arrival of the plane from Washington and Abigail started crying from the loud noise. Mia reached over and picked her up, rocking her in her arms.  
"Hush baby." She said. "It's alright. That means daddy's home." Mia smiled as Abigail quieted down and looked up at her, her eyes as black as her father's. "That's right, sweetie. Daddy's home. Here Darry, hold her for a minute." Mia handed the baby over to Darry before she stood up on the bench to see over the crowd.  
Mia watched as soldiers started to file out of the terminal exit, some with tattered army uniforms hanging off them, and their bags hung on their shoulders; others in casual clothes, their uniforms in hand, ready to be thrown in the closest garbage can.  
Mia bit her lip and stood on her toes to get a little extra height to see over the people.  
"Do you see them?" Ponyboy asked. He had gotten up beside her and was also scanning the crowd.  
"No- wait!" Mia pointed of to the far left when a group of soldiers still in uniform had just stepped out of the terminal. "Is that Soda?" Ponyboy's head snapped in the direction she was pointing, and he nodded vigorously when he saw his brother.  
"Yea, I think I see Tim and Steve too." Mia observed the group as it moved through the airport. She spotted Tim and Steve on either side of Soda and started waving her hand at them to get their attention. The moment she stepped off the bench and started through the crowd, she'd lose sight of them.  
Steve's eyes were looking around, and he eventually noticed Mia on the bench. She watched as he pointed her out and Tim looked up. Mia smiled big and jumped from the bench. She started to push herself through the crowd towards him, and when she glanced up to see where he was, she could see people moving out of the way from the other direction. She smiled as she continued to move through the crowd, until they all seemed to realize what was going on and parted. Mia stopped dead in her tracks as she looked across the few meters to where Tim had also stopped.  
She felt her heart pounding in her chest as they starred at each other for a moment before a wide smile broke out across her face, and tears fell from her eyes.  
Tim grinned as Mia jogged the distance between them, and jumped into his arms. He wrapped her up tight, holding her close to him like he thought she'd turn to dust and disappear.  
They stood there, absorbed in their own world as everyone around them went about their way. Finally Tim pulled back, and took Mia's face in his hands.  
"I never thought I could miss you so much." He said before he kissed her. Mia pulled him as close as she could, savouring the feeling of having him close again.  
They broke apart after a moment, and Mia smiled as she ran her hand down the side of his face, her breath coming out in short pants.  
"Welcome home, baby." She whispered before kissing him again.  
"You know, Tim. If you're gonna get a welcome home like that every time you go away, you should go away more often." Tim and Mia broke away from each other to see all the guys snickering. They'd all followed Mia through the crowd, and were now standing off to one side of them.  
"I think I'm fine right here." Tim said as he kissed Mia's cheek. Mia smiled before Abby's crying interrupted the moment.  
Mia reached over and took her from Darry before turning back to Tim. He was starring at her with eyes that held too many emotions all at once.  
"Tim, this is Abby." Mia said as she rocked the baby to quiet her down. "Abby," She glanced down at the baby before looking at Tim, tears choking her words as she said. "This is your daddy." Tim smiled as he reached out and Mia handed Abby to him.  
"Hey, beautiful." Tim said as he held Abby in his arms, rocking her close to his chest for a moment. She starred up at him before reaching her hand up and placing it over his heart, while her other hand went over her own.  
"She does that a lot." Mia said. "I think it's her way of saying that she loves you." Tim let out a shaky breath that was clearly meant to keep back tears, as he used his free hand to place it over the one she'd resting against his chest.  
"I love you too, baby." He said as they started for the doors of the airport. "I'm not going that far away ever again."

_I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong, he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure, he's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life, larger than life_

XXX

There you have it, the shortest chapter story I have ever posted. :p

Hope everyone liked it! Please review!

~Stay Gold!


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